The following class descriptions and times are for the 2011-2012 school year. Class offerings, fees and times for the 2012-2013 school year will be announced in May, 2012.

Students attend a weekly lesson and a bi-weekly group class based on the level of the students. Students perform in recitals and concerts on campus and in the community. The students perform as a group as well as in solo performances. Returning students can click here to register; new students and families should read through the material below before registering.

Suzuki Violin and Viola Costs: (per semester)
30-minute lessons: $485 or $600
45-minute lessons: $665 or $850
60-minute lessons: $860 or $1,110

Group Class Schedule:
Wednesdays between 5-7 p.m.

Performance Schedule

Gino DiMario Memorial Recital: 3 p.m., Oct. 30, 2011, Werner Recital Hall
Achievement Festival: May 19, 2012

Policies

Please read the CCM Preparatory policies, which also apply to the Suzuki program. They can be found in the student online handbook online by clicking here.

Missed lessons: We follow the CCM Music Preparatory make up lesson policy. Every student is allowed one make-up lesson per session, provided they e-mail (not text or call) the teacher 24 hours prior to the intended missed lesson. Out of respect for the teacher’s time and devotion to the students, please do not ask for a makeup lesson if the absence falls outside of these parameters.

Group class policy and etiquette: The success of group classes depends on everyone being in attendance at every class. Students and parents should:

• Arrive on time
• Stay for the entire class
• Do not bring students when they are ill
• Refrain from talking to other parents in the rehearsal room
• Turn off all cell phone/pagers during lessons and group classes
• Participate actively and provide undistracted support

Classes missed for any reason beyond illness, family emergencies, or other extraordinary circumstances cannot be considered excused. Students with two or more unexcused absences in a session will not be eligible to perform in any semester recitals. If this happens in consecutive semesters, a parent-teacher conference may be requested in order to help determine whether the child is receiving optimal benefit from this Suzuki program. If a student is repeatedly late or leaves early, the same principle applies. We ask that the time from 5 to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesdays be reserved for our program and that other plans do not conflict with this reserved time.

The teacher may give specific instructions for practice at home, so the practicing parent needs to be present to take notes. If it is not possible for the practicing parent to attend a group class, there must be an adult substitute. Siblings may remain in the room so long as they do not disrupt the group class.

Recital attendance policy: Recitals are an integral part of our Suzuki program. The students have fun working and preparing for them. This motivational tool built into the method helps to create the positive musical environment necessary for continued success. The result is usually a positive, meaningful sense of accomplishment after having gone through the experience. Therefore, recital attendance is mandatory. Only the most extreme circumstances are grounds for missing a recital.

Unexcused absences will require a parent-teacher reassessment meeting.  If, when the schedule is published at the beginning of the year, a proposed recital date poses a major scheduling problem, please inform us immediately. Sometimes we can alter the schedule slightly to accommodate you.

The teacher reserves the right to postpone a student’s recital participation if the student is not ready.  The family, including the student, is required to attend the recital.

Practicing: In Suzuki, one parent is designated the Suzuki practicing parent. This parent attends all lessons and group classes, and practices at home with the child. The practicing parent must work together with the child.  Excelling at musical study is not rocket science; it simply takes regular, committed practice time. This means sitting down with the child and working through the assignments given in the private lesson. Effective practice entails:

• Establishing a daily, uninterrupted home practice schedule
• Helping the child commit to the schedule
• Working only on the assigned materials

Ineffective practices could include:

• Cooking or doing chores while the child practices in the next room
• Answering the phone, using the computer, etc, during the practice session
• Using substitutes for the practicing parent (the other parent, a nanny, babysitter, etc)

We prefer that one parent be responsible for the class, as each lesson builds from the last. New techniques are easy so long as old ones stay easy. It is easier for the parent to notice these things when he or she attends all lessons.

Parents often ask what is expected in terms of practice time. Ideally students should practice seven days a week; one of Dr. Suzuki’s famous quotes is “Practice only on the days you eat." A baseline of daily, focused practice for 10-15 minutes is recommended for the beginner (depending on the age). As the child progresses with concentration level and with physical skills, the home lesson time will naturally lengthen. The following chart is an example of suggested practice times for your family. Daily practice sessions can be broken into multiple segments. For some students, (especially advanced students) this often works better.

• Pre-Twinklers (ages 3-6) -- 10 to 15 minutes
• Pre-Twinklers (ages 7+) --  30 minutes
• Book 1 -- 45 minutes
• Book 2 -- 45-60 minutes
• Book 3 -- 1 hour
• Book 4 -- 1.5 hours
• Book 5 -- 2 hours
• Book 6 -- 2.5 hours
• Book 7-8 -- 3 hours
• Mozart concerti and beyond -- 4+ hours daily

Many students practice above the guidelines for their specified level. A practice time with active involvement, purpose and focus is more valuable than the amount of time recorded. It is up to the adults (including the teacher) in the child’s life to help guide the home practice so that maximum goals are achieved within a positive environment. This requires open communication between the parent and teacher concerning the challenges associated with the home lesson.

Please communicate privately with your child’s teacher. An e-mail followed up with a personal phone call is welcomed.  We are here to help you make things easy at home. If it becomes obvious that practice standards are not being met, and teacher recommendations are not working with those challenges at home, then a conference may be scheduled.

Summer Study (May through August): Study during the summer is important and highly recommended for students to continue their progress. We hold both private lessons and group classes. We have found that students who do not play during the summer are frustrated when it is time to “dust off the instrument.” It takes a good month (sometimes two months) to climb back to the level they had achieved when they stopped playing. There is flexibility in the summer for scheduling. Students who choose to not take lessons or group during the summer cannot be guaranteed a place back in the program in the fall.

The CCM Prep program is planning to offer a Suzuki “camp” for families that can schedule this activity. We also recommend that families try to attend weeklong summer workshops and institutes that are offered around the country. Many families combine vacations with these family friendly workshops. We will have information and recommendations in the spring for workshops that we feel would be best for our families.

Attending Concerts: Exposure to live music is essential to the Suzuki method and to a maturing understanding of musicality. Therefore, families are required to attend two live classical music concerts (preferably featuring violin soloists or string quartets) per year. Students may bring ticket stubs and/or programs to the concerts they attended and write/draw a description of what they heard. There are many free concerts in this city beginning with CCM! Other great places include: Cincinnati Symphony, Cincinnati Museum (Music in the Museum series), Linton Chamber Music Series (also Peanut Butter and Jam sessions), Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra, Cincinnati Opera, Kentucky Symphony Orchestra.

Instructors

Kate Cinelli cinellkj@uc.edu, Suzuki Strings Coordinator
Rose Reidmiller rosereid@gmail.com
JiYong Atkinson jiyongatkinson@gmail.com

CCM Suzuki Violin Schedule 2011-2012

Group schedule
5-5:50 p.m. -- Beginners/pre-twinklers, Room 3215 (Ms. Rose); Twinklers/Early Book 1, Room 3234 (Ms. Cinelli)
5:50-6:05 p.m. -- snack time
6:05-6:55 p.m. -- Mid Book 1 Room 3215 (Ms. Rose); end Book 1/Book 2, Room 3234 (Ms. Cinelli)

Fall
Oct. 5, 26
Nov. 30
Dec. 7 -- Play in/holiday party from 5 to 6:30 p.m.with JiYong
Jan. 18, 25 (dress rehearsal) starts at 5 p.m.

Spring
Feb. 1, 15, 22
March 7, 14
April 18, 25 (dress rehearsal) starts at 5 p.m.

Special dates
Jan. 29 -- Studio recital, 3 p.m., Watson Hall
Feb. 3 -- All-city play-in (not mandatory)
March 16 -- Suzuki educators workshop. Information here
March 17-18 -- Workshop with Suzuki strings and piano students. Information here
April 28 -- Studio recital, 3 p.m., Watson Hall
May 19 -- Achievement festival, CCM -- not mandatory except for scholarship applicants

Students

Beginner/ Pre-twinklers: Jenna, Caitie, Sophie, Evelyn, Alex G
Twinklers/Early Book: Maggie (viola), Caroline, Leah, Emma, Celia, Elias, Madison
Mid. Book 1: Anna Catherine, Alex H, Ella, Meili, Hannah, Jake
End Book 1/Book 2: Louise, Ryan Hong

Suggested reading material

Suzuki journal
Nurtured by Love by Shinichi Suzuki
Helping Parents Practice by Edmund Sprunger
To Learn with Love by William and Constance Starr
The Suzuki Violinist by William and Constance Starr
Punished by Rewards by Alfie Kohn
They’re Rarely too Young and Never to Old to Twinkle by Kay Collier Slone
Ability Development from Age Zero by Shinichi Suzuki
Time to Practice: A Companion for Parents by Carrie Reuning-Hummel